GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 694, 6 August 1875, Page 3

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

-LM. '4 T.a, r„. (Condensed from Exchanges.) July 28. The debate on the Report of thejl)el|iles Committee concluded with the resolution that the practice hitherto pursued in ro(portifß the debates'be continued. <Tbo re* J port Vtfcomin Aided thal only debated of im-I portant political character be reported hi exten«o, and those nut of a political character be condensed. '[ / \ The Native-Minister asked for leave of absence for S r J. Vogel for the remainder j ■«/{> p /%'3 M#t. Sheehan. the a|l{tj|e more in'foimatton to as tqthb'S&mt posf- ‘ tion now occupied by Sir J. Vogel, though lie would be the last person to refuse such a request on his^b^.ialf»saß' t theotjolpny,wa3, certainly greatlyvindebted hi# j sideling the iihpn>tant'trust'Crtufuled at present to Sii J. Vogel, having, in fact, the destinies of the Colony in his haucj£|*,it «Vas the House shoi\M die'satislied s Sif J/ Vogel occupied hj position that coJiKl not hereafter 'be"'traversed, Mr Fitzhorbert said it was the opinion, since the Marquis of Nnrnianby came to the Colony, that Sir J. Vogel ceased to bo a U P°«' .ho 'alki He wahid-press on the Ministry the gravity of their position, fori he did not believe, .the .present Colonial ■ Treasure! 1 was ■’legitlly' Chloh'al' Treasurer, and that when Sir Julius Vogel at Home exercised the power qf Colonial Treasurer, he! was mo more than an ordinary member of the House If a Minister could stop away for a whole'session, w&mlering About. the world, without effecting the Government, the quicker they passed some law to alter that state of thiugs tibe better. ' J ' ' “ Sir George Grey recalled to the rcoolleotibn of the House that the powers of the Governor, and also of the General Assembly, \VSre limited to the confines of those islands, and when the Assembly made an appointment, it was only to run as far as tbe shores of New Zealand, and not one mile farther. He hoped some honorable, gentlemen would move a refolutiuir to protect the constitutional rights of the people by not appointing, as member of the Executive, a person outside of the Colony. Mr Reader Wood said it appeared to him that it was with the Ministry as Shakespere put it, 11 Would it were bedtime, Hal, and all were well.” They deprecated personalities and discussion and indeed everything seemeddo make them uncomfortable; but be assured' the Ministry that, although Sir J. Vogel could be' dictatorial and snappish when he chose, and although the House (and himself included) had always put up under it in some unaccountable manner, that the mantle of .Sir T. -Vogel had not fallen upon any of .his . colleagues, and the Hooper would not be dictated to by any of tbe-present Ministry. s?r Rolleston held that, according to all Constitutional precedent, a Ministry ceased, to exist after the death or loss of its chief. As far as Sir.l. Vogel’s leave of absence,w.-is concerned, they would be benefitted if it was extended indefinitely, as he had more confidence in the present Ministry without Sir J, Vogel than with him. ... .- The question was then put, and leave of absence granted without any dissentient voice. " t' /' ' o,". July 29. , .Upon the House resuming; at. 7.30 p.m. last night, Mr T. L. Shepherd’s Goldfields Act, providing for the pollution of rivers by mineih, was re:ul a second time,, the Government, stating that the Bill went-in the same direction as they wished to legislate in. Mr Macandrew also thought the Bill was in the right direction, but said it did not go far enough. Mr Wood asked if the Government had an authoritative opinion as to the powers of the Legislature to abolish the Provinces, as grave doubts existed. Mr Gillies had first directed his (Mr Wood's) attention to the fact, he (Mr Gillies) thinking the ; Legislature did not possess the power. Mr Wood said the Constitution Act, by its third section, says there must be Superintendents and Provincial Councils,' and ho power had subsequently boon given to the. Assembly to upset that clause. . ,i.n, ■ The Native Minister said the Government had full power to abolish the Provinces They bad taken the opinion of the present Chief Justice, and had laid the said opinion on the table.- '•■■■ ■ ■ ; In reply to Mr Murray the Government said they had not taken any steps to obtain the opinion of tbe Imperial Law Officers as to tbe power of the. Assembly tb abolish Provinces. pWrT. L. Shepherd’s motion regarding the establishing of an Institute of Civil Engineers 'to pr'ev'ent unqualified persons practising as railway engineers, was on the voices, the Gbvefhment .not seeing its way to do anything in the matter. Mr Rolleston moved that all correspondence relating to the recent changes in the distribution of Judges of the Supreme ~Ca\wt be laid upon the table.«.) Mr Wales the occasional removal of the-.Ttldgcs rather tehded to increase their independence than otherwise, and referred to the conduct of Mr Justice, Johuatop.-recoiitly in OWgo, at ah instance in point. Removal in that case had conferred a great benefit on the public. ,Mr T. L. Shepherd fully agreed with the remarks of the last speaker, and would even go further, and say that the Wardens and Resident Magistrates should be periodically shifted. y ~ The motion was agreed to, ; - Mr Andrew asked whether the importstion and acclimatisation of weasles is prohibited by any Act of tlio Legislature. Mr Bowen was not aware of any Act feinting to the importation of weasels. Mr Reid moved the second reading of the Otago Waste Lands Act, 1872, Amendment Bill, In'doing so, he set forth as argn-

meats in.fii.vqr of the Hill the necessity pt WUfXteill#! of lautl being sot apart' on the deferred payment system, with intermediato sections to be sold by public aup-, 'Jlou, so that while settlors who had obtained land under the deferred payments scheme were expending their time amV'money on rimpxpving their -own sections, ttw interf Viodfate sections would J>l iiicririsiiig in value. Mr M'Glashan could not agree with the I principle of the Hill. Ho objected to selling land on deferred payments at a less price tltjin when sold for cash. , TWpilhwas read time- and rofenodpo lie Waste'da Cmfnutiteo. -■ A tScssaJe fromllhri'Governor, was re--O(4yM; bHijging Jp.wri lihb Abnlitio'n Kf the Provinces Bill, which required the vole of the House. The LolKil Government Bill . yvaa tailed at thasatpa^time. Sir asked that a BUI of such ‘Vital inipl.rtawi'to tllcbvhole Colony should bo delayed ten days. , ‘ Mr Held regretted that the Government hfld not seen tit to make seme exposition of ab important a measure when asking leave to introduce it.’ He trnaleft the Government would postpone its further consideration for three weeks.—(lronical: Oh, o|i.) Ho wanted time to enable people to express some op'nion upon the Bill. No one had been,.itbl}),|q qpjyion as the Ministers hail carefully ft Cor fear anjdioAy/siyuldjtiifcoTOr a ttawda.itL(.r. The Bill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Friday next. ”■ ■* i V. X 0 U. A meeting of Members was bold at tlio Premier’s house. '4O Members were present. Mr Stafford moved a resolution approving i f the Government Bills, and pledging all present to support them right through this session. ;; Messrs Bradshaw, .T. 0. Brewh, Mervyn, Pyke, and T L. Shepherd were among those' presdrtt. 'J'he Daily Times correspondent says Altogether there seems this cnauce of the Bills getting through Corinriittee-this session, and if. they do not, the Government will go the country on them. , ’ 1 ; ; : The Opposition Iraki a meeting to arrange their plain of attack and policy. ! T rinnjc-’ works. statement. j *■' i ■ .(Condensed.) • ; s. J (11 , ( ■ f ■ T’ne Hon. Mr Richardson made the Pub-lic-Works Statement on Tuesday last. He drew attention to the maps, tables, and reports from the various engineers,, iusteadfof going so ffilly into details. He said it Was only then,.for the first time, that he was able with any degree of certainty. to speak as to the cost of .the various Railways. The appropriations of 1872 had, in many, cases, been only approximate ; but during the past two years detailed surveys (if nearly all the railways had be?n completed,, and lie was in a positnn to lay reliable estimates before the House. After referring to the Public Works Department, he-said, contemplating the construction of 278 miles of railway in the North Island, arid 486 in the Middle Island, L 5,880,900 was appropriated, in’lß72 ; an additional sum of Td,CBO;O6O, in 1873 ; and in 1874, a further small sum, making the total of L 5,777,000- and the total length of railways 1010 .'milesthe lines in the Northern Island, being increased by 92 miles ; and in the Middle Island by lot- miles’. If is now however, found that, to complete the lines, a further ■ appropriation 0f;L314,95l will be .’required (making,a total of L 6,091,981) for the completiomof the mileage fully equipped, 1000 of it being of a heavier iail than was’-pre-viously contemplated,, with three exceptions,- will be completed at an average cost of L 5630 per mile, the exceptions ■ being Wellington to Featherstone, the Port Chalmers and Dunedin to Moeraki, those costing LIO.OOO, L 27,000, and-L9,000 per mile respectively. There are open for traffic 278 miles; 183 more miles will be ready in three months ; and 110 miles by the end of the year. The House is urged not to enter upon extensions or new lines until proper surveys have been made and reliable details procured, the extra cost being attributed: to a departure from this rule. The report then enters into the additional 1 appropriations. The railways open;, And the amounts yielded are as follows : Wellington to Masterful, open L4J mouths, net yield clear of woiking expenses, Llß9l 13s Id.; Napier to Paid Paki, open B.j months, net; yield, L 2028 9s ; Auckland and Ouehmiga" line, yield during year,, L 2140 5s j Canterbury lines for the year ending 31st March, L.19,641 6s lid; Otago lines, same period, L 22.323 9s 6d.—The total length of Roads in the North Island, completed or in progress, is 1888 miles of dray, and 6215 miles of horse roads, at a total cost of L 478,073 1 Is’Sdq length of roads in Ne’son Southwest Goldfield 114 miles, at a cost of 1.03,283; in Westland 135 -miles, cost LI 12,000. —The three large Water Races for supplying water on the Goldfields have all proved much more costly undertakings than was anticipated, and he (Mr Richardson) ‘was ready* to admit that the late Government—of which he was a member—made a grave error in yielding to the pressure which was brought to hear upon it, and entering upon the cons ruction of these race?. Off Public Buildings a largq numbcr have been erected during the year, but the high prices of material and labor have compelled the Government to hold over all those which the requirements of the Public Service permitted.—The coal : deposits in the Buffer district have been surveyed, and a rough estimate of this area gives 140,000,000 tons, in seams of from 20ft to 52ft at one (taint. • Reference is also made to the coal fields in the North Island; also Otago and Canterbury.—Machinery, which comprises the inspection of machinery in 381 establishments, and 513 steam boilers, has been brought in force during the year, at a cost of L 825, with a return by fees of L9o3.—The Government consider the railway appropriation, to be taken this- year out of tlie Loan, should.be only those which will tend to. render -Hi«'T»lwnyw' authorised more complete, and that further extension should be postponed until, at all

'I) eVbnti, the greater.jiroptirtloa io£..the \rJiila ways now in course of eonatructifcif are • : open for traffic. 11 They fool convinced, fnnU ■' the sqtisfactqryr.rcsulta (jhown.by; ..those ;nlI ready opened, that there will bo no diffi--0 cnlty iii" raising whktovot funds may bo II Ueiristavy to further extend W(e pfftiu trunk '• lipe^,. The Auckland workshops have cost 11 1.12,G0d, andL3o', (j()6irriorcwill beinquired'. Abimt‘'L9oi)o Ima been spent on jDuiicdiW 0 workshops ; they will cost the same jas L ’Anoklandt-LlojOpO. /-A. purvey Jut; been*' u made to join the east and west coasts of. the Middle Island;-’ The Statement eoncludis • as follows During the past year the ex’-*’ (londiture oi) roads has bc'eii 1.123,958,’ 15s ’ V Bd, in addition to,a tqt(il,cxpeudituyij to tihe 3 30th of June, 1874, of L 508,787 Iffs-JL; On f railways, thb expenditure for the year has 1 been L1;997,105. ,3s 9d, iin addition do LI, 994.250 18s 5J proviifusly; and on water i races there has been LI 13,339 ISs 2d expend 1 ditrire, in aildition to L10L352 18s Jsit"The total expenditure to the 30lh bf (June last, 1 for each of the above Class of works being': f on roads, T. 032,746 I2s; railways, L 3,9!) 1,421 3 14s’2d ; ahd water races, .1 214,688,. 10s sd, • giving .a-total expenditure of-;L4,838,857 2s • ,7d; -The -liabilities, on these respective ) works were, at the same date,' roads, 3 L 23,132 2s 7d ; railways, L 1,620,365 5s 10|d; • water races, LV37,072'6s Id; making a total 3 liability on those works of L 1,780,570 I4s r 6il,' arid of expenditure and liabilities, LG,019,427 17s Id. The easy arid certain I communication' the : railways afford has r greatly • assisted settlement hji l the country districts, and the constantly growing! ,cle-‘ 3 ment of settler population npist furnish a • corresponding increase of traffic as the lines 5, in course of completion open up the country, • whether to cut off from a market by reason 3 of the cost or difficulty in communicating i therewith. If further .evidence of,.the 3 probable paying results of our pail way ex - 3 penditure should bo needed, I ask the House 3 to turn to the table appended hereto as rc- = printed from the annual reports of the cbmf mission of railways in Victoria for the year ' 1874. I have had that table reprihfed, because I think it is calculated'to insure great • confidence in the minds of hou. members, ft shows that in tire yea* 1874 there were -open in tire Colony of Victoria 441 miles of railway, the ■ total cost .of which was LI 1,557,484 ; the average cost per mile was • L2G,207 ; the gross receipts from all sources - s were L 557.042 ; the working expenses were - L 374,715, and the net income was L 476,427, f being -interest .at,the irate of 4.1 per cfiit. s on the total capital. Now,|Sir, we in New s Zealand shall have 991 miles of railway for ; tlie total cost of 1.5,091,981, or at the rate a of LOOOO per mile. After nsikirig full al- , lowance for the difference in the population 3 of the two colonies, and the extra, expense. involved in; the working, by o\ir having 1 three or four groat centres of traffic instead s- of one as Victoria, I cannot but think that 3 hou. members will agree with me in be- - lieving that the comparative difference in f cost, which is more than, at the rate of j L 20,000 per mile in favor of New Zealand, 1 i leaves such a margin as will ensure very; , satisfactory results to the railways in this , i.Colony. The House will have 'already e judged,from what I; have, said that the e policy, of the Government is to complete all - the-lines now in hand and get them into . ’ thorough working order. It will then be , ■ seen wherever extensions are most wanted r to further open up the country.